Telemedicine: Addressing the Modern Contours of the American Mental Health Crisis
It’s been a few months since we last blogged about telemedicine and psychiatry – and a lot has happened since then. In an era where mass shootings are a common occurrence, the opioid crisis ravages communities, and prolonged war affects a new generation of U.S. Military personnel and their families, the need for enhanced psychiatric infrastructure is evermore on the minds of U.S. policymakers.
In March, Congress approved an increase to federal spending levels for mental health services, with bipartisan support. The need for investment in American psychiatric services is clear. As physician Joseph Parks argued in a report by Merritt Hopkins:
“Two-thirds of primary care physicians report that they have trouble getting psychiatrist services for their patients. So, they go to the emergency rooms. There has been a 42% increase in the number of patients going to the emergency room for psychiatric services in the past three years, but most of them are not staffed with psychiatrists. They try to get into an inpatient bed, but hospitals have been closing their psychiatric units because they can’t find psychiatrists to hire and staff to run them. It is truly becoming a crisis.”
The Association of American Medical Colleges further reports that many patients who actively seek psychiatric help are simply unable to because licensed care providers are located too far away.
This is where telemedicine can help – by bridging gaps created by distance, supplementing in-person care with remote check-ins, prescribing needed medication – all from a remote location.
What does psychiatry look like in telemedicine? And how can CareClix help?
In telemedicine, psychiatry looks a lot like it would in any traditional setting. CareClix video conferencing technology allows doctors and patients to speak face-to-face, just as they would in a doctor’s office, but from remote locations.
Telemedicine also allows for the secure transfer of medical information to and from a patient’s primary physician, the prescribing of medicine, and the ability to perform medical assessments of vital signs and other data. CareClix telemedicine technology further addresses medical office issues related to scheduling and insurance coverage.
What products are services can CareClix provide?
With our medical carts, exam rooms, and online platforms, CareClix can provide your psychiatric practice with:
Remote patient monitoring: CareClix allows you to check vital signs, order urine tests, and electronically track health data points electronically, instantly, and securely. Our telemedicine system is already compatible with hundreds of commonly available medical devices, making it easy to integrate your existing equipment into the CareClix system. CareClix can also provide you with relevant medical equipment to support your practice, all of which can be electronically connected to our online CareClix platform.
Online medical suites: CareClix products make it possible for you to interact face-to-face with psychiatric patients via website or mobile app, prescribe medication, accept appointments online, track and verify insurance claims, and automate reimbursement workflow.
To learn more about how we can support your psychiatric practice, visit our website. Or shoot us an email with questions at info@careclix.com
John Korangy, MD Cofounder, CareClix Website: www.careclix.com E: info@careclix.com P: 855.227.3259
About the Author:
Dr. Korangy is the Cofounder of CareClix, a Pioneer in the field of Telemedicine, and a widely respected doctor with more than a decade of experience working as a physician. Dr. Korangy specializes in radiology, and understands firsthand many challenges facing doctors and patients in today’s evolving economic and political environments. Dr. Korangy is committed to improving service delivery to patients throughout the United States, and to supporting the medical community in expanding what is possible for care. He received his medical degree from George Washington University and received medical training at Georgetown University.